8 unexpected Instagram accounts from the travel world

Travel is, by nature, one of the industries that had the most to gain when Instagram first launched. Aspirational photos of destinations, clever hotel design, and sexy stewardesses would allow travel companies to build brand awareness and stay in touch with customers even when they aren’t planning a trip.

Three years and a $1 billion acquisition later and we are surprised to say that many major travel companies are either not on the platform or not doing a great job.

Some hotel groups like Marriott have thousands of followers liking their glossy images while others like Best Western and Hilton have yet to post a single picture. Most airlines have an account, but it’s mostly a static stream of carriers and runways; likewise with tourism boards’ posts of undefined pretty places.

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The online travel companies are particularly pathetic: TripAdvisor has only two photos, Priceline has one, and Expedia‘s account is private.

We put our thumbs to work and sought out Instagram accounts from mainstream travel companies that pleasantly surprised or perplexed us. They were chosen for posting images that caught our eye, stood out from their peers, or were just extra clever.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAmerican passenger drafted goodbye texts to her family as Flydubai plane plummeted

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation pushes embattled New York prosecutor into national spotlight

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

Click here to see how the TSA, Dublin Airport, Delta Air Lines and others get creative on Instagram.

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